European Economic News

Danish retail sales declined in February amid lower demand for clothing, food, and groceries, preliminary figures from Statistics Denmark showed on Wednesday. Retail sales fell 1.3 percent month-on-month in February, reversing a 2.2 percent rise in January. Sales of food and other groceries decreased...

Sweden's economic confidence rose for the second straight month in March, survey results published by the National Institute of Economic Research showed on Wednesday. The economic tendency index rose to 88.2 in March from 86.2 in the previous month. All sectors contributed to the improvement, but...

French consumer confidence deteriorated to a six-month low in March on weak assessment about past and future standard of living, survey results from the statistical office Insee showed Wednesday. The consumer sentiment index fell slightly to 81 in March, as expected, from 82 in February. But this was the lowest score since September.

UK mortgage approvals increased for the first time in six months in February despite rising interest rates and high inflation weighing on the housing affordability. Mortgage approvals for house purchases increased to 43,500 in February from 39,600 in January, the Bank of England reported Wednesday. This was the first monthly increase since August 2022. This also exceeded economists' forecast of

Austria's manufacturing sector deteriorated at the steepest pace in nearly three years, as both output and new orders fell at faster rates, survey data from S&P Global showed on Wednesday. The UniCredit Bank manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, or PMI, fell to 44.7 in March from 47.1 in February....

Despite the rising recession fears, confidence among German consumers strengthened for the sixth consecutive month on improving income expectations, a closely-watched survey by the market research group GfK revealed Wednesday. The consumer confidence index for April climbed to -29.5 from -30.6 in March, the Nuremberg-based GfK said.

Sweden's retail sales showed their worst performance in history, as sales of durable and consumer goods contracted sharply in February amid rising inflationary pressures, figures from Statistics Sweden showed on Wednesday. Retail sales fell a working-day adjusted 9.4 percent year-on-year in February,...

Norway's retail sales increased for the second consecutive month in February, mainly as a result of strong demand for information and communication technology equipment, preliminary data from Statistics Norway showed on Wednesday. Separate official data revealed that household consumption rebounded...

Consumer sentiment survey results from Germany and France are due on Wednesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news. At 2.00 am ET, Germany's market research group GfK is scheduled to issue consumer confidence survey results for April. The consumer sentiment index is forecast to rise to -29.2 from -30.5 in March.

Despite the ongoing pension reform strikes, French manufacturers' confidence weakened only slightly in March to mark the first fall in four months as their view about past and future production deteriorated, survey data from the statistical office Insee revealed Tuesday. The manufacturing confidence index dropped to 104 in March from 105 in the previous month.

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said the UK central bank was on high alert since the failure of the U.S. technology sector focused lender Silicon Valley Bank in the past few weeks. "We are in a period of very heightened, frankly, tension and alertness," Bailey said at the Treasury Select Committee hearing on the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.

Italy's consumer confidence strengthened for the second straight month in March, reaching its highest level in just over a year, survey results from the statistical office Istat showed on Tuesday. The consumer sentiment index improved to 105.1 in March from 104.0 in the previous month. Meanwhile,...

Hungary's average gross earnings increased at the slowest pace in six months in January, figures from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office showed on Tuesday. Average gross earnings rose 16.1 percent year-on-year in January, slower than the 17.9 percent increase in December. Further, this was the...

UK shop prices logged another record high in March due to the historical growth in food and non-food prices, data from the British Retail Consortium showed Tuesday. The BRC- NielsenIQ shop price index increased 8.9 percent on a yearly basis in March, faster than the 8.4 percent rise in February. The annual growth was primarily driven by another record 15.0 percent growth in food prices.

French manufacturers' confidence slightly worsened in March for the first time in four months as their balance of opinion regarding the change in past and future output decreased, survey results from the statistical office Insee showed on Tuesday. The manufacturing confidence index dropped to 104...